Overnight Sensation(56)
“Goodness! Just tell me how I can help.”
“Well, I’m waiting for them to call me in, and the surgery itself should only take an hour. So if you’re here by ten or eleven o’clock, that should work out. I’ll be free to go as soon as the anesthetic wears off. But they require me to have someone sign me out, and all my friends are on the road.”
I can’t imagine going into surgery all alone. “I’ll be there. Don’t you worry.”
“Thanks, Heidi Jo. I really appreciate it. I’m emailing you the details right now. Charge me overtime or whatever.”
I would never do that, of course. Instead, I get to the hospital early, just in case he’s ready. But when I arrive, he’s still in the recovery room being fussed over by nurses.
Everyone looks pale and horrible right after surgery. I know this. But it plucks my heartstrings to see this powerful man—a seventeen-year veteran of the NHL—laid out like this, his knee bandaged up, an IV in his arm. “Oh my,” I say softly, slipping into the chair beside him. I take his hand and give it a squeeze.
He opens his eyes and squints at me. “I’m okay, angel,” he slurs. “They have really good drugs here.”
“I’m sure they do,” I agree. “Just wish you didn’t need them.”
“Me too,” he grunts. “It’s gonna be a while until they let me out of here.”
“I know that,” I explain, releasing his hand. “Just didn’t want you to wake up alone.”
His hand lands on top of my head. “You’re a good girl, Heidi Jo.”
“Everyone says so,” I grumble.
“It’s a good thing to be,” he slurs. “You won’t end up all alone like me.”
Oh my. Anesthesia is its own kind of truth serum, and he’s still under the influence. “How’s your pain?”
“Fine. I’m a tough old stone, Heidi. Probably out for the season, though.”
“What? That’s terrible!”
He doesn’t answer. He just pats me clumsily on the head.
While he dozes, I pull out my laptop and get to work trying to figure out how to solve Jason’s Western Union problem. I have his credit card in my pocket, as well as an email and the scribbled destination, torn from the magazine. I can do the whole transaction online, although it doesn’t work the way he thought. There’s nowhere to input the pickup location.
“Bayer?” I ask.
“Hmmm?”
“Do you know how Western Union works?”
“Is that a hockey team?”
I’m taking that as a no. So I do some more research and figure it out myself. Then I email Jason.
To: Jason Castro
From: Heidi Jo Pepper
Sir—Western Union doesn’t work exactly the way that you implied. You don’t need to give them a pickup destination. Instead, you need to tell Mrs. Jolene Skinner to bring her ID to any Western Union location and give them tracking number KP7742-11.
Paying with a credit card cost you $26. Sorry. They asked me if I wanted to charge the recipient for the fee and I said no. I figure I’ll just spend $26 less on your grocery list. Those blueberry waffles you asked for have too much sugar anyway.
Beat Denver.
Your humble servant, HJP
The nurses come back to Bayer’s bedside and lift the bed to a sitting position. He gives me a wobbly grin and a thumbs-up.
“Once you’re taking liquids, and you’re able to urinate, we can send you home,” the head nurse says.
“Roger that.” His eyelids drift closed.
I get an email from Jason not five minutes later.
From: Jason Castro
To: Heidi Jo Pepper
Thank you so much for handling the wire transfer! I really appreciate it—and it’s fine that I paid the $26. I felt like a dick for forgetting to handle it myself. But I got really distracted Saturday night. It’s basically your fault, now that I think about it.
That’s a joke, okay? And it had better be a joke that you’re saving money on waffles. What is the point of shopping for me if you’re leaving out my favorite things?
—JC
From: Heidi Jo Pepper
To: Jason Castro
I’m great! I’m super busy getting everything the players asked for, and looking at apartments in Queens and the Bronx.
The waffles will appear and so will your dry cleaning. They couldn’t get the pizza stain out of your red tie, but honestly the world is better off without that old thing. You’re replacing it with something nicer from Barneys.
You also need some new shirts. Just saying. The blue striped one is particularly ragged. What’s your shirt budget, is $2000 too much?
—H
From: Jason Castro
To: Heidi Jo Pepper
$2000? You can’t be serious. And don’t toss the striped shirt! We beat Dallas twice when I was wearing that. Seriously, don’t toss it. Don’t toss anything. I don’t know which tie you mean because they all have pizza stains. The one with kittens on it is lucky against Tampa.
Leave the clothes alone, okay?
—J
I let out a cackle.